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Abstract

The arrival of the Bronze Age ushered in many changes in the Mediterranean, including the emergence of the Nuragic culture on the island of Sardinia (Italy). The Nuragic culture takes its name from the nuraghi, the more than 7,000 dry-stone towers that dominate the landscape. The Nuragic population engaged in an extensive trade network within the Mediterranean throughout the Middle and Late Bronze Age, trading with Mycenae, Cyprus, and mainland Italy. Contact with foreigners intensified the cultural exchange and facilitated the emergence of an elite group. The Phoenicians established colonies on Sardinia in the Early Iron Age, resulting in the incorporation of the island into a world-system that originated in the Near East. This study investigates Nuragic-Phoenician relations utilizing a proposed world-systems model of periphery-semiperiphery interaction. I demonstrate how the strategic use of ceramics, bronzetti, Monte Prama statuary, and specialized architecture by the Nuragic population reflects their ability to negotiate their incorporation in a world-system.